Bag construction



R. D. HAYES BAG CONSTRUCTION Nov. 9, 1954 2 Shee'Es-Sheet 1 Filed March31 1951 R. D. HAYES BAG CONSTRUCTION Nov. 9, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 31 1951 Ihwentor' (Ittornegs United States Patent 2,693,836 Y BAGCONSTRUCTION Richard D. Hayes, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to BemisBro. Bag C0., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Missouri ApplicationMarch 31, 1951, Serial No. 218,616

3 Claims. (Cl. 150-3 My invention relates generally to bag constructionand more specifically to novel closure and carrying means therefor.

An important object of my invention is 'the provision of novel closuremeans for the open upper end portions of bags, said closure meansproviding handle members whereby the bags may be carried.

Another object of my invention is the provision of combination closureand carrying means for bags as set forth which permit free andunobstructed access to the interior of the bags.

Another object of my. invention is the provision of closure and carryingmeans for bags as set forth which, when utilized as closure means,efiectively prevent escape of material from the bag.

Generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices,combinations of devices, and arrangement of parts hereinafter describedand defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, likecharacters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation illustrating the closure meansutilized as a carrying handle;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of a bag showing my novel closure meansattached thereto;

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing a differentposition of some of the parts;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form ofbag;

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing a modified form ofclosure and carrying means; and

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2, but showing a still differentform of closure and carrying means.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3inclusive, a flat tubular bag is indicated in its entirety by thenumeral 1 and comprises front and rear walls 2 and 3 respectively, aclosed bottom portion 4, and an open upper end portion 5.

The bag structure may be made in any suitable manner and from variousmaterials, but preferably is constructed from a single thin transparentsheet of synthetic resin such as polyethylene or the like. The bag 1 isformed by folding a length of the sheet material on itself to form thefront and rear elements 2 and 3 and the adjoining edge portions securedtogether by suitable means such as by the application of heat andpressure. For the purpose of the present example, it may be assumed thatthe sheet material is folded to form. the bottom 4 and that the heatscaling is applied v to the opposite side edges 6 and 7 of the bag, seeFig. 1. @Obviously, sealing the edges 6 and 7 by means of heat appliedthereto can only be accomplished with the use of such synthetic resinsas lend themselves to this type of joinder. In bags of the above typemade from cloth, paper, or the like, the sealing would be accomplishedby the use of adhesives, sewing, or the like.

I provide novel bag closure and carrying handle means for the bag 1 inthe nature of a thin sheet of material 8, folded longitudinally uponitself to form downwardly extending front and rear flap elements 9 andrespectively. The opposite ends of the flaps 9 and 10 are securedtogether and to the opposite side edges 6 and 7 of the bag 1 adjacentthe open upper end 5 thereof, said fiaps 9 and 10 overlying the upperend portions of the front and rear walls 2 and 3 respectively.

With reference to Fig. 3, it will be seen that my imception of materialsto-be contained therein or for the ready discharge of saidmaterials.However, when the closure 8 is inverted to its bag-closing position ofFig. 2, it will effectively prevent accidental spilling of the contentsin the bag, assuming, of course, that said contents are in a dry state.As illustrated in Fig. 1, my improved bag may be readily carried bypulling upwardly upon the central portions of the flap elements 9 and 10and insertion of the users fingers therebetween and the upper end of thebag. If desired, the bag 1 may be originally constructed with theclosure initially positioned, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 3, sothat the bag may be filled without loss of time in opening the same.Thereafter, the closure may be inverted to bring the flap element 9 intoits dotted-line position to effectively close the bag. 1

By reference to Figs. 1- to 3 inclusive, it will benoted that the upperedge portion of the closure 8 is in spaced relationship to the top ofthe bag 1. However, I do not wish to limit the invention to thisspecific arrangement inasmuch as it is sometimes desirable to constructthe bag with the upper end 5 thereof in substantially abuttingrelationship to the interior of the closure adjacent the fold line 11,particularly when my novel bag is utilized for the purpose of containinggranular material such as beans, dried peas, rice, and the like.

In the modified form illustrated in Fig. 4, a bag 12 is shown ascomprising front and rear wall elements 13 and 14 respectively, and aclosed upper end 15. In this instance, the bag 12 is shown as beingprovided adjacent its upper end with an opening 16 in the nature of aslot extending across the width of the front wall 13 thereof and bymeans of which access may be had to the interior of the bag 12. The bag12 has a combination closure and handle means identical in all respectsto the closure 8 of Fig. l and which is identified in its entirety andin detail by numerals corresponding to the numerals of Figs. 1 to 3inclusive. When the closure 8 of the bag 12 is used as a carryinghandle, the portion of the bag above the slot 16 will be more-or-lesscrumpled downwardly in a manner to completely close the slot 16 so thatforeign matter such as dust, rain, or the like will not be permitted tocome into contact with the contents of the bag while the same is beingcarried.

In the modified form of closure illustrated in Fig. 5, the bag isidentical to the bag of Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, and is identified by thesame numerals. The closure therefor, indicated in its entirety by thenumeral 17, comprises front and rear flap elements 18 and 19respectively which are provided with extended portions 20 and 21 thatare folded backwardly upon themselves on fold lines 22 in a manner tocause the extended portions 20 and 21 to lie between the adjacent flapelements 18 and 19 and the adjacent front and rear walls 2 and 3 in theopen end portion 5 of the bag. As is the case with respect to Figs. 1 to4 inclusive, the closure of Fig. 5 is coextensive in length with thewidth of the bag, the opposite ends thereof including the ends of thefolded portions 20 and 21 being secured to the opposite side edges ofthe bag. Folded portions 20 and 21 add strength to the closure 17, bothwhen the same is used as a closure and in its use as a carrying handle.

Fig. 6 illustrates the closure of Fig. -5 having the extended portions20 and 21 of the flap elements 18 and 19 respectively folded outwardlyinstead of inwardly, so that the flap elements 18 and 19 are disposedtherebetween and the adjacent bag walls 2 and 3. Otherwise, the closure17 of the bag of Fig. 6 is identical to that of the bag of Fig. 5.

While I have shown and described several forms which my novel bagstructure may take in practice, it will be understood that the same iscapable of further modification without departure from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined in the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In combination, a tubular bag including front and a) rear wallelements, said bag being open at its upper end portion, and a bagcarrying and closure means comprising front and rear flap elementsnormally loosely overlapping the upper end portions of the front andrear bag wall elements respectively, said flap elements being joinedtogether at their upper edge portions above the upper end portion of thebag and at their ends to each other and to adjacent side edges of thebag, said flap elements in said normal loose overlapping relationproviding a handle for said bag adapted to receive a users fingersbetween said flap elements and the upper end portion of the bagintermediate the side edges thereof for carrying the bag, one of saidflap elements being foldable along its upper end portion over the otherof the flap elements to position both flap elements on a common side ofthe bag and expose the open upper end thereof for access thereto.

2. In combination, a tubular bag including front and rear wall elements,said bag being at its upper end portion, and a bag carrying and closuremeans comprising a sheet of material folded to provide downwardlyextending front and rear flap elements normally loosely overlapping theupper end portions of the front and rear bag wall elements respectively,said flap elements being joined together at their ends to each other andto adjacent side edges of the bag, said flap elements in said normalloose overlapping relation providing a handle for said bag adapted toreceive a users fingers: between said flap elements and the upper endportion of the bag intermediate the side edges thereof for carrying thebag, one of said flap elements being foldable along its upper edgeportion over the other of the flap elements to position both flapelements on a common side of the bag and expose the open upper endthereof for access thereto.

3. In combination, a tubular bag including front and rear wall elements,said bag being open at its upper end, and a bag carrying and closuremeans comprising an inverted cross sectionally U-shaped member embracingthe open upper end portions of the bag, said member defining front andrear flap elements normally loosely overlapping the upper end portionsof the front and rear bag wall elements respectively, said flap elementsbeing joined together at their ends to each other and to adjacent sideedges of the bag, said flap elements in said normal loose overlappingrelation providing a handle for said bag adapted to receive a usersfingers between said flap elements and the upper end portion of the bagintermediate the side edges thereof for carrying the bag, one of saidflap elements being foldable along its upper edge portion over the otherof said elements to position both flap elements on a common side of thebag and expose the open upper end thereof for access thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 830,148 Harvey et al. Sept. 4, 1906 880,524 Hauphofi Mar. 3,1908 1,267,193 Dunae May 21, 1918 1,370,966 Hirsch Mar. 8, 19211,736,396 Duvall Nov. 19, 1929 1,981,711 Russell Nov. 20, 1934 2,539,799Stroller Jan. 30, 1951

